Magnetic selecting device



June 21, 1960 J. c. SIMS, JR 2,941,666

MAGNETIC SELECTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I.

Synchronous Mo'ror And Gear Box Mugnetizing Circuit no.2. l IO Resilient INVENTOR.

JOHN C. SIMS, JR.

AGENT June 21, 1960 J. c. SIMS, JR

MAGNETIC SELECTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1955 FIG. 8

FIG. I0.

IZL/ HGO n I: 11Gb l Erasing Head wmw 6W 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN C. SIMS, JR.

AGENT June 21, 1960 J. c. SIMS, JR

MAGNETIC SELECTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 12, 1955 u wEw INVENTOR.

JOHN C SIMS,JR.

5:34 65 4! AGENT United States atent MAGNETIC SELECTING DEVICE John C. Sims, Jr., Springhouse, Pa.,tas signor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug.12,'1955,=Ser.-No.528,054

.11 Claims. (Cl. 209-74 This invention relates to magnetic selecting-devices and more particularly to devices which perform selecting :or control functions magnetically. In the prior art, various devices for performingselectingoperations are known, :but these have certain drawbacks which are overcome by :the

present invention which performs its selecting operations through the medium of control portions comprising magnetizable elements which are selectively magnetized and demagnetized.

One object of this invention is to provide a selecting device which is more reliable and accurate than thoseof the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple "and inexpensive selecting device.

Still another object of the invention is -to provide a selecting device in which the selecting element does mechanical work .or mechanically operates the pickup means.

Another object of the invention is to proved card sorting device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this description proceeds.

In one form, the invention contemplates an endless provide an imtape or wheel having a plurality of magnetizable ele ways, as will hereinafter appear in more detail.

In the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a pickup wheel and one specific form of pickup head.

Figure 3 is a side view of the device of Figure 2..

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of selecting wheel along with a modified formof pickup head.

Figure 5 illustrates the device of Figure 4 when the latter is performing a selecting operation.

Figure 6 illustrates another modified form of the inventionn Figure 7 illustrates the device of Figure 6 when the latter is performing a selecting operation.

Figure 8 is an elementary view of a card selecting'and storing device.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a sample card usedin the system of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a top view'of the system of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a modified form of the invention wherein the selecting device of Figure 4 is employed to open the door of a card sorting mechanism.

Figure 12' is a side view of a complete card storing system utilizing the parts shown in Figure 11.

In Figure '1, a wheel or non-magnetic disc 10 has a plurality of magnetic elements 11 mounted in the pcice riphery thereof. These elements are of a type which retain their magnetism for at least a few seconds and may be composed of material having a substantially rectangular hysteresis loop, such as a cobalt-nickel alloy or Alnico V. Such devices can be magnetized and retain their magnetism indefinitely, but later maybe readily demagnetized by an erasing circuit. Many suitable magnetic'materials are known to those skilled in the art. The wheel 10 is driven by asynchronous motor-and gear box 12-ata desired speed. The alternating current used for driving the motoris =fed through a rectifier 13 and switch 14 to the magnetizing circuit 15 of a stationary electromagnet 16. The latter is in suitable position to mag- =netize the elements '11. Moreover, the synchronous motor 12 and the position of the elements 11 on the wheel 10 are so related that during each positive half cycle of the low frequency alternating current source, one of the elements 11 is in direct alignment with the magnetic core 16. :It follows that if the closing of switch 14 is very accurately timed so that it energizes a particular one of the elements 11 .as it passes through the core 16, at a predeterminedlater time that element will pass the pickup head 17 and energize the latter. Hence, it is possible to accurately delay the effect of the closure of switch 14. The magnetized elements subsequently pass the erasing circuit 18 whichdemagnetizes them.

Figure 2 illustrates one particular form of pickup head. The Wheel 10 has elements 11 therein the same as shown in Figure 1. A stationary yoke 12a of soft iron magnetic material has an armature 13a hinged thereto. If one of the elements 11 was not magnetized by the magnetic core 16, the armature 13a will remain in the position shown when that magnet passes through yoke 12a. In the event that the magnet 11 was magnetized, it will then attract armature 13a as the magnet 11 passes through the yoke 12a. This will rotate the armature about pivot 14a and move the projection 15a against the resilient blade 16a whereupon the blade will move and thus close the contacts 17a of an electric switch.

"Figure 4 is another modified form of the invention in which the wheel 10 as a modified shape involving a projection at the trailing edge of each element 11. A sub stantially vertical member 40 is pivoted at the fixed pivotal point 41 and has hinged or connected thereto, by pivot '43, a horizontal member 42 composed of, for example, soft iron. A stop member 44 is attached to the vertical arm 40 and limits the clockwise motion of member 42 which is biased clockwise by the spring 45. As long as the elements 11 are not energized, the parts 40 to 45 inclusive remain in the position shown. However, if one of the elements 11 (for example magnet 11a) is magnetized and approaches the pickup head 4045, it attracts the soft iron member 42 downward so that the latter is engaged by the projection 46. This carries the soft iron member 42 away from the stop member 44 and thus rotates the arm 40 as shown in Figure 5. As soon as the wheel 10 has rotated so far that member 42 no longer is held against the projection 46, the member 42 snaps back to its original position as shown in Figure 4. The angular movement'of member 40 resulting from the magnetizing of element 11a may be utilized to perform useful work. One example of how this work may be utilized is shown later in connection with Figure 11.

Figure 6 is a modified form of the device of Figure 4 and hasa Wheel 10 of the same shape as wheel 10 of Figure 4, and having similar projections 46. A nonmagnetic arm 60 pivoted at 61 has a soft iron magnetic part 62 hinged thereto about a pivot 63. A spring 64 tends to hold the magnetic part 62 against the arm 60. during normal operation of the system. When none of the elements 11 is magnetized, the part 62 rides clear ofthe projections 46, and arm 60 is held in this position by a stop member 65. As shown in Figure 7, if one of the elements 11a of Figure 6 has been magnetized, it will attract magnetic part 62 and rotate it about pivot 63, and, thereby, away from arm 60. The magnetic part 62 will then be caught by a projection 46 and rotated counterclockwise around pivot 63, thus rotating arm 60 upwards and counter-clockwise around pivot 61. The arm 60 will strike the pin 66, which passes through a hole in the stationary plate 67 and has an enlarged upper part 68 for operating a mechanism and thereby performing useful work. When the projection 46 drives the parts 60 and 62 to the position shown in Figure 7, the pin 66 and the enlarged upper part 68 are driven upward and this upward motion may be utilized to perform a desire control function.

Figures 8 to inclusive show one way in which the invention may be employed-to perform useful 'work in connection with a card sorting machine. The card sorting machine, insofar as shown in Figure 8, is conventional but Figure 10 shows how the invention may be applied thereto. The machine of Figure 8 employs a plurality of rollers 80 for driving the cards from a card supplying mechanism 79 horizontally toward the left at a constant predetermined speed. A pickup device 81 senses the cards and by reason of indicia on the cards, a particular one of the four sorting boxes 82, 83, 84 or 85 is selected. Each of these boxes has a swinging lid which may swing open to the position shown by dotted lines 86.

Thus, a card moving along the device will be shunted into the particular sorting box whose door has swung upward to its open .position.

Figure 9 illustrates a sample card 90 having one indicium 91 and other spots 92, 93 and 94 where indicia may be applied in place of the one shown at 91. The indicia may bein the form of holes punched in the card, or in the form of a light reflecting spot. In fact, any form of indicia may be employed. As shown in Figure 10, the card-90 moves to a position under the pickup head 81 (see Figure 8). The pickup head comprises four separate head units 100, 101, 102 and 103, each one of which has a sensing mechanism to determine whether or not an indicium is on the card 90 at the position sensed by the particular pickup head in question. For example, the pickup head 100 determines whether or not there is an indicium at point 91. Likewise pickup heads 101, 102 and 103 respectively determine if there are indicia at spots 92, 93 and 94. Generally only one of the four spots on the cards has an indicium and hence only one of the four pickup heads is energized. There are four magnetizing coils 104, 105, 106 and 107 respectively energized by the four pickup heads 100, 101, 102 and 103. 1

These four coils respectively transmit flux to the smaller magnetizable elements later described, through the medium of magnetic cores 108, 109, 111 and 112. An endless belt 113 has a number of groups of magnetizable elements thereon. Each group of magnetizable elements has four magnetic elements, one for each pickup head 100 to 103. The first group of magnetic elements comprises magnetic elements 114, 115, 116 and 117. The second group comprising magnetic elements 114a, 115a, 116a and 117a is spaced from the first group by a distance equal to that between two of the card sorting boxes, for

example the distance between boxes 82 and 83. The

other groups of magnetic elements are similarly spaced. These magnetic elements may be composed of any of the materials such as describediin connection with the magnetic elements 11 of Figure 1.

Each card sorting box 82, 83, 84 and 85 has a pickup means for sensing whether a particular magnetic'element distance to the left of the present position of magnetic element 115a. Pickup means 122 has a sensing element 123 positioned a short distance to the left of the present position of magnetic element 116b, while pickup means 124 has a sensing element 125 located a short distance to the left of the present position of magnetic element 1170.

Assume that when the card 90 of Figure 9 is fed into the device it has an indicium at spot 91. Pickup head will sense this and thus energize coil 104, thus magnetizing magnetic element 114. As the endless belt 113 moves to the leftat the same speed that the card moves, the magnetic element 114 will pass under the sensing element 119 and cause the pickup means 118 to open the door of box 82 and thus shunt the card into the box 82 when it arrives at that'box. In the event that the spot 92 had the indicium thereon instead of spot 91, the operation would be similar with the exception that now the spot 92 would energize pickup means 101 which would energize coil thus magnetizing element 115.. The endless belt would carryrnagnetic element to the left at the same speed the card moved to the left and when the magnet 115 reached sensing element 121, the pickup means would open the door to box 83 and thus shunt the card 90 into the box, 83. If it next be assumed that the indicium was at spot 93 instead of at spot 91, the operation would be as follows. The spot 93 would energize pickup head 102 which would energize coil 106 and thus magnetize magnetic element 116. The magnetized element 116 would travel along with the card until it reached sensing element 123 which would energize pickup means 122 and open the door to box 84 and thus shunt the card into that box. If spot 94' were the one having the indicium thereon, it would energize pickup means 103 which would energize coil 107, magnetizing element 117. The magnetized element 117 would travel to the left slightly ahead of the card until it energized sensing element which .would in turn energize the pickupmeans and open the door to box 85 thus shunting the card into that box. It is noted that there are a plurality of groups of magnetic elements such as 114,

114a, etc. which periodically recur in the proper magnetizing position under the cores 108, 109, 111 and 112 and therefore cards may be fed through the system one after the next, and a new card may be fed into the system each timea new group of magnets arrives under the cores 108 to 112. The erasing head 126 demagnetizes the magnets so that the operation may be repeated. r

A card supplying mechanism 79 feeds cards under the pickup means 81 at the proper times. The card supplying means 79 is preferably synchronized with the endless belt 113 so that a card is fed under the pickup device 81 whenever a new row of magnetic elements arrives under the magnetizing means 108 to 112 inclusive. The synchronization of the card feeding means 79 with the belt 113 is not part of the invention and consequently is not illustrated in detail.

Figure 11 shows how the device of Figure 4 may be arranged to open the door of one of the sorting boxes. Identical reference numerals have been applied to identical parts of the apparatus in bothfigures. The arm 40 is connected by a shaft 150, illustrated by a broken line, tothe lid or door 860i the sorting box 84, for example. Therefore, when an appropriate element 110; is magnetized and attracts armature 42 andthus rotates arm40, the motion is transmitted through shaft to rotate the door 86 and open the latter. As soon as ,the magnetized element 11a passes the operative position, the

door 86 re closes due to spring 45a.

Figure 12 shows a card sorting system utilizing the mechanism of Figure 11. In Figure 12 there is a pickup head 81 the same as employed in connection with-Figures Sand 10. This pickup head has four subordinate pickup heads which sense the four spots 91 m 94 inclusive on the card 90 which may be fed into the device. In the eventthat the spot 91 has an indicium thereon, the

pickup ;head-8 1 will energ' the wire 160 whichin turn ill-energize coil 16 1 at the precise time that magnetic element 162 of disc 1'63 arrives under the coil 161. Thus the magnetic element 162 will be magnetized but none of the other three magnetic elements on the disc 16} will lhe magnetized. -In event thespot 92 has ,indicium thereon, the pickup head will energize wire ,164 and in turn {the coil 165 and thus magnetize-the magnetic element166 of the disc 167. None of the other three magnetic elements-of this disc will beenergized and the apparatus is so timed that thecard 90 will arrive under the pick- ,upheadSl atthe precise time that magnetic element 166 .is facing coil 165. In event spot 9,3;is the oneearrying .the indicium, the pickup head 81 will i energize cwirej168 which will in turnsenergizecoil 1,69 at the gprecise time that magnetic element 170 arrives under :the coil 169. Magnetic element 170 is carried by the disc 171. vIn event spot 94 is the one carrying indicia,,the pickuphead 81 willenergize the wire 172 and in'turn the coil 173 .at'the precise timethatthe-magneticelement 174 moves .under thecoil 17.3. Magnetic element 174 is carried :by the disc 175.

The pickup elements 176 to 179 inclusive are each composed of the parts 40 to 45 inclusive of Figure ll and each .of these units is connected by a suitable shaft such as 150 (of Figure 11) illustrated by ,dottedlines and designatedby reference numbers 150a, 150b, 1150c and 150d on Figure l2,-'to the lids of the v b,oxes. ,82, 83,84 and 85 respectively.

The operation of the devicelof Figure ,12. is as follows. In the event that the indicium appears at spot 91 of .Figure 9,, when the card 90 passes under the pickup head 81, magnetic element 162 will be directly under coil .161 and will be magnetized. The disc 163 will move 1% of a revolution during the same time that the card moves from its starting position to one directly in .front of the lid of box 82. The magnet 162 will then actuate the pickup element 176 to open the lid of box 382 and thus shunt the card 90 therein.

In the event that the card has an indicium at spot 92, the magnetic element 166 will be directly under coil 165 at'the time that the card 90passes pickup'head 81 and thus magnetic element ,166 will be magnetized. This magnetic element will rotate of a revolution in the same length of time that it takes the card 90 to move .to,a;position just to the right of the lid of box 83 at which-time thelid will be opened by the magnetic element 166 which actuates-the pickup element 177, hence "(116123!(1190 will be shuntcdinthe box 83.

.,,S,im ilarlY, ,if the indicium is at spot 93, the magnetic element 170 will be directly'under and will be magnetized bycoil 169-at the time the latter is energized. The disc '17]. will then rotate /3 of a revolution in the same time '88 is required for the card 90 tomove to a position just ;to;the right ofthejbox 84 at which time the magnet 170 will actuate the pickup means 178 and open the door of the box 84, shunting the card therein.

In like manner, if the spot 94 on the card has the indicium thereon, the pickup head Will energize coil 173 at the precise time that magnetic element 174 is under that coil, whereupon that magnetic element will be magnetized. The disc 175 will then rotate Ma of a revolution inlprecisely the time his required for the card 90 to move toxaposition justto the .right of the lid of box 85, at which time thattlid will be opened by the passage of magnet .174 under the pickup means 179. Hence, the-card 90-will he shunted into the :box 85. Erasing wcoils 190, 19,1, 192, and 193 arepositioned a fraction of a revolution beyond the pickupmeans 176 to 179 inclusive and demagnetize the magnets aftertheyhave performed their switching operations.

{Ilhemollers 8.0 Whichpropel the cards alongthe device are synchronized so far as speed is concerned with the rotation of the discs 163, 167, 171 and 175 so that the cards arrive just to the right of the lids of the boxes at the time that these ,lids are open. The art hasalready thoroughly explored and taught means for moving cards along rollers at predetermined speeds and consequently no-illustration of such means is deemed to be necessary, it being merely stated that such means is suitably synchronized with the .four discs 163, 167, 171 and 175 so ,thatthe cards arrive at theproper time for the operations ,hereinabove set forth. In Figures 8 and 12 the rollers should be spaced from other adjacent rollers by such short distances that the cards will not fall between two rollers unless a lid of a box is open. This spacing is .not showninall cases butthoseskilled in the art understand that additional rollers and suitable spacings should be employed.

A card feeding mechanism 79 operated by mechanism lfidanddriven by motor andgear box 181 may be added if desired. The motor and gear box 181 maintains synchronism between the four discs 163, 167, 171 and 175, and the rollers 80, as well as the cardfeeding mechanism 79. While the addition of the card feeding mechanism .79 is a desirable expedient, it forms no part of the invention and such meansare well known in the art. It is also known how such means may be synchronized with-rollers such as 30. Consequently no elaboration of such means is thought necessary; it being noted'that so far as the present invention is concerned the card could be slipped under the pickuphead 81 manually at the properinstant if desired.

Iclaim to have invented:

1. In a control system, the combination of an endless movable member having a plurality of spaced elements thereon, said plurality of elements being fabricated of a ,magnetizable material, magnetizing means located adjacent one point along the path of movement of said endless membenmeans for selectively energizing said magnetizing means to magnetize selected ones of said magnetizable elements, and pickup means located adjacent another point along the path of movement of said endless member, said endless member further including outwardly extending projections at the trailing edges of the magnetic elements respectively, said pickup means including an armature that is normally carried free of the projections but which is attracted by a magnetized element against the endless member and then moved by the projection trailing such an element.

2. In a control system, an endless movable member having a plurality of spaced elements thereon, said plurality of elements being fabricated of a .magnetizable material, magnetizing means located adjacent one point along the path of movement of said endless member, means for selectively energizing said magnetizing means to magnetize selected ones of said magnetizable elements, and pickup means located adjacent another point along the path of movement of said endless member, said endless member including outwardly extending projections on said endless -member adjacent the said magnetic elements respectively,said pickup means com prising all of the following: an armature normally located just beyond the path of motion of said projections but being'drawn into said path when one of said elements is magnetized, and means for returning the armature to its normal position after the magnetized element has passedthe position of said armature.

3. A control system comprising rotatable means having a periphery around which are spaced a plurality of elements of magnetic material, projections extending beyond said periphery at the trailing edges of said elements respectively, magnetizing means located adjacent said periphery for selectively magnetizing said elements,

and pickup means spaced along said periphery from the magnetizing means, said pickup means comprising all of the following: amounting member mounted at and pivoted for rotary movement at one end thereof, an armature pivotally mounted at the other end of said mounting member, means connecting the armature and said mom.

thereupon engaged by the projection trailing said element to thereby rotate the mounting member, and means to be controlled operated by the angular position of the mounting member.

4. A control system as defined in claim 3 in which said mounting member has a normal position generally perpendicular to said tangent, and means normally biasing the armature to a position parallel to said tangent.

5. A control system as defined in claim 3 in which said mounting member is normally substantially parallel to said tangent, and means which holds the armature normally substantially parallel to said tangent.

6. In a control system, a movable member having a plurality of spaced control portions thereon each of which comprises magnetic material, and a plurality of projections, one of said projections located adjacent each of said plurality'of control portions, means adjacent the path of movement of said member for magnetizing the material at selected ones of said portions thereby to place predetermined controlinformation on said movable member, mechanical work means adjacent the path of movement of said member, said mechanical Work means including a magnetic armature mounted for physical movement toward said member when said armature is magnetically attracted by a magnetized control portion on said member passing adjacent thereto whereby said armature engages a preselected one of said projections on said member and is thereby forced to move, and means for erasing said control portions subsequent to passage of said control portions adjacent said armature.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said movable member comprises a plurality of discs mounted for rotation in synchronism with one another, said mechanical work means comprising a plurality of magnetic armatures movably mounted adjacent the peripheries of said discs respectively.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said armatures are disposed at ditierent angular locations adjacent the peripheries of said discs respectively.

9. In a system for controlling card sorting, the combination of a plurality of endless movable members having a plurality of spaced information storage elements thereon, each of said plurality of elements being fabricated of a magnetizable material, said endless members including a plurality of outwardly extending projections each located adjacent an edge of one of said magnetic elements, magnetizing means located adjacent said endless members, means for selectively energizing said magnetizing means to magnetize selected ones of said magnetizable elements, said energizing means comprising a card sensing apparatus for deriving information from cards and selectively energizing said magnetizing means according to such information, detecting means located adjacent said endless members, said detecting means including an armature of magnetic material which is normally .carried free of said projections but which is attracted by a magnetized one of said elements in motion thereby tobe in close proximity to said endless member so that said armaturewhile attracted by said magnetizedone of said elements in motion is engaged by and movedby the projection also in motion adjacent such a magnetized element, a plurality of card receiving receptacles into which cards may be placed according to the information thereon, and means for moving cards from saidsensing means to said receptacles in synchronous relation with said endless members, each receptacle having a lid which is linked to and positionally controlled by a separate one of said armatures, said lid being operative to deflect a card into its associated receptable when said lid is in a certain position.

10. In a card sorting apparatus having a plurality of sorting means each including a device for diverting cards having information thereon into difierent positions, means for sensing the information on said cards and for producing signals according to said information, and means for moving said cards from said sensing means to said devices in a certain time relationship, said'sorting means further including a plurality of endless movable members having a plurality of elements of magnetizable material mounted thereon, means for moving said endless members in synchronism with said means for moving said cards, energizing means for selectively magnetizing said elements according to the signals pro duced by said sensing means, said diverting devices including a plurality of movable magnetic armatures mounted adjacent said movable members in a one-to-one relationship so that selected ones of said armatures are magnetically attracted and moved toward magnetized ones of said elements in response to the movement of said selectively magnetized elements adjacent said armatures', projections attached to said movable members and located adjacent each of said magnetic elements and extending outwardly from said movable members so as to engage said selected armatures when said armatures are attracted toward said magnetized elements and to move said armatures therewith, and means responsive to the movement of said selected armatures by said projec tions for actuating associated ones of said diverting dev1ces.

11. In an endless control system, a movable member having a plurality of spaced control portions, each of said control portions comprising magnetizable material, means adjacent the path of movement of said movable member for magnetizing the material at selected ones of said control portions thereby to place predetermined control information on said movable member, mechanical work means adjacent the path of movement of said movable member, said mechanical work means including a magnetic armature which is mounted for movementin a first direction and for movement in a second direction into engagement with said movable member when said armature is magnetically attracted toward a magnetized one of said control portions on said movable member passing adjacent thereto, said movable member including means for engaging said armature and for driving it in said first direction by continued movement of said movable member when said armature is attracted by a magnetized one of said control portions, means 'for erasing the control information on said control portions subsequent to passage of said control portions adjacent said armature, and utilization means responsive to the movement of said armature in said first direction.

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